There’s a lot going on at Donnybrook, as Leinster prepare for the new season.

First, a new Rugby Development Officer has been named. Everyone at Leinster Rugby is delighted at the appointment of David McAllister.

The former Leinster and Ireland Under-21 out-half will be responsible for the North Midlands area. Hopes are high that his experience will help him unearth some exciting new talent.

But that’s not all. You can now sport the colours of your favourite team, as the new home jersey for the 2007/08 season is now available at the Leinster Rugby Store. Short sleeved jerseys are only €77, with long sleeved shirts costing €80.

The 2007/08 season looks to be a very exciting one for Leinster. Season ticket applications have almost doubled since last year. Priced at just €199, a new batch of Bronze season tickets has been released after the initial tickets were snapped up within weeks. Make sure you get yours quickly to avoid disappointment.

For devoted Leinster fans who can’t make it to all the home games, Leinster Supporters Memberships are available for next season.

Exile packages (€50) are designed for those Leinster fans all across the globe. The kids can join the Leinster Cubs for just €30.

The idyllic grounds of Stradbally Hall may not seem like the most obvious place for a music festival, but since 2004 the Electric Picnic has brought some of rock’s biggest names to these rolling fields.

Since it began as a one-day event, the Electric Picnic has always been unique among music festivals. And not just because of the mix of music.

At the Electric Picnic, you can enjoy the 24-hour cinema, watch some great plays, get a makeover in the Pamper Palace and even fire off a few rounds at paintball.

If you’ve ever thought festival food consisted of dodgy kebabs and burgers, the Electric Picnic will change your mind. There is plenty of high quality, organic food, including mouth-watering barbequed steaks.

All the traders at the Electric Picnic will be using Fair Trade ingredients where possible and the festival is doing all it can to become carbon neutral.

This year the Electric Picnic has teamed up with Act for Climate. Their ‘Adopt a TD’ scheme will help ensure Ireland’s politicians get the message about global warming.

The Electric Picnic could well be the world’s most ethical music festival. Looking at the line-up, it will also be one of the most entertaining.

The 32,500 fans who were lucky enough to get tickets for the Electric Picnic’s three-day weekend will get to see an unbelievable range of acts.

Other festivals may say they have a diverse line-up, but few can compare to the Electric Picnic. It’s not often you get to see Iggy Pop play on the same bill as the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.

The festival has always made a point of including many up-and-coming acts, making it a great stepping stone for younger bands. It also features classic acts such as Sonic Youth, ensuring there is an older audience compared to other festivals.

The Electric Picnic runs from the 31st of August to the 2nd of September.

The fourth section of the Barrow Way involves trekking on the route located between Vicarstown and Athy. This section of the walking path is located in County Laois in the eastern region of the province of Leinster. The route is quite easy to complete and extends over a distance of eleven kilometres. Steep climbing is pretty much non existent on this track. Walkers should expect to spend three and a half hours walking on this route to finish it. Majority of the walking terrain on this section of the Barrow Way consists of grassy track. Once walkers leave Vicarstown behind, they will be greeted with nice views of Kilteale Hill, Hewson Hill and Bawn Hill. The countryside in this area is fairly flat. The majestically magnificent Bert House can be seen after the walkers are beyond Bert Bridge. This huge Georgian mansion is divided into seven bays.

Kingfisher is a traditional Indian restaurant in Portlaoise that is worthy of a visit. The scents and spices of the Indian food are pretty exotic and act as great appetizers, forcing even people who are not hungry to take a bite and savour the heavenly taste. People enjoy the samosas here immensely. The tomato based lamb dish is described as lovely, warming and gorgeous by many satisfied customers. It’s not too spicy and tastes just right to stimulate the taste buds into believing that they are in contact with something truly heavenly. The delicious chicken korma is highly appreciated for its satisfying appeal. Mushroom rice is also a treasured delicacy here. The wine list is carefully chosen for quality and the coffee is very soothing. Service is impressive to say the least. A perfect restaurant if you ever wish to eat a perfect meal.

The seventh and final section of the Slieve Bloom Way is located between The Cut and Glenbarrow. This part of the walking trail is easy and wonâ€™t present many difficulties to the walkers. It is located in the eastern region of Ireland in the province of Leinster in County Laois. This part stretches to a distance of about nine kilometres. There is very little climbing involved on this route. Most walkers are normally going to take three hours to finish walking on this route. The road on this walking route can be quite busy with traffic so the walkers will need to be careful to avoid any unfortunate mishaps. The road from The Cut to Glenbarrow consists of forest and tar road that goes downhill so minimum effort will be required in walking on this part of the trail. One remarkable thing about The Cut road that walkers will find intriguing is the fact that it is hand cut. They can even find markings left by those who were involved in the cutting. Walkers can also visit the blanket bog in Glendine or enjoy the waterfall at Glenbarrow.